San Clemente ponders more changes for beach club

SAN CLEMENTE A $3.7 million plan to fix up an aging landmark is growing bigger as elected leaders look at making changes to the Ole Hanson Beach Club beyond a rehabilitation.

City Council members directed staff Tuesday night to work up costs and concepts to redo the entrance, relocate an ocean-view equipment-storage space, move and redesign a catering kitchen and make other changes to create a more user-friendly facility.

“I think we just blew right by $3.7 million,” Mayor Bob Baker said. He and others liked the idea of further improvements, though city staff cautioned that the project's funding is currently only $2.5 million.

The pool complex, built in 1928 at 105 W. Avenida Pico, has been closed for a year to investigate its structural health. Meeting today's building codes has proved a challenge for designers, city staff said.

Architects Cheryl Moe and Ricardo Nicol suggested entry changes to open up a view to the pool and a sense of arrival inside to match the exterior's grace.

City staff will report on possibilities the council can consider with a new city budget. “We've got too few dollars chasing too many fabulous projects,” Councilwoman Lori Donchak said.

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